Though approximately 25% of Americans become lactose intolerant as they age, the food industry does not clearly label the presence of lactose in the vast majority of processed foods that contain it. In many cases even euphemisms for lactose such as “Natural Ingredients” are absent from the list of ingredients on the label. Therefore the lactose intolerant consumers cannot avoid becoming ill with any degree of certainty on a day to day basis. The situation is even more intractable in restaurants where there is seldom any detailed information on the lactose content of the menu items. Therefore lactose intolerant individuals have need for a convenient lactose test with which they can screen the foods that they eat.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a simple and convenient test for the presence of lactose in every day food items. Many similar tests exist in the market place for the presence of glucose in the blood or urine of diabetics. For example Clinistix reagent strips for urinalysis are manufacture by Bayer Corporation and the principles of operation are taught by Adams et al. [1]. These test strips rely upon a visual assessment of color change by the user in order to assess the concentration of glucose in the sample being tested. More quantitative results for blood concentration of glucose are obtained with the test strips and a read out apparatus produced by MediSence Corporation [2], [3]. This test relies on the enzyme glucose oxidase to convert glucose into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The test apparatus then detects the hydrogen peroxide by measuring the electrolytic conductance of the sample after a stabilization period of approximately 30 seconds. A blood glucose test is also manufactured by CVS Pharmacy Corporation [4 10]. It relies upon a change in infrared absorption of the sample after treatment with suitable reagents.
Despite the relative rarity of diabetes relative to lactose intolerance there is no available test kit in the market place. The present invention provides for this need by using prior art glucose tests in combination with unique sample treatment to effect a suitable test for lactose.